Leagues One and Two 2022-23 preview: Star signings and preview ahead of new campaign
The new EFL season begins this weekend. 48 clubs in the third and fourth tiers are targeting promotion. The Championship will be affected by the winter World Cup. Leagues One and Two are not. Mirror Football runs the rule over the likely promotion contenders, also-rans and relegation candidates across both the Third and Fourth tiers.
Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Peterborough, Oxford, Wycombe, MK Dons, Bristol Rovers, Forest Green, Port Vale and Exeter could all struggle to adapt to the new league. Barnsley will drop down from the Championship. Bristol went up thanks to a 7-0 win on the final day of last season. They will be looking for improvement after finishing in the top six last time out. The new season starts with the League One season, which starts on August 1st. It's a new era for Bristol, who finished 15th last year. Their new manager Joey Barton will look to improve the team.
Mark Hughes is the new manager of Bradford City. Salford City has a lot of expectations on them. The newly-promoted Stockport are the bookies' favourites to win the title. Doncaster, Crewe, Wimbledon and Gillingham are relegated. Crawley and Walsall have taken over recently. Barrow, Harrogate and Stevenage could be fighting relegation. i.e. they all flirted with the drop last season. They should all post top-half finishes. Sutton United will be looking to follow up their first-ever EFL season with another push for the play-offs. Tranmere and Newport will try to improve on top half finishes and improve their top 10 finish.
Josh Murphy was released by Cardiff and signed for Oxford United for nothing this summer.
Michael Smith signed for Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer. Smith scored 19 goals in the third tier for Rotherham last season.
Conor Hourihane has been a standout signing in League One this summer.
Dominic Telford was last season's League Two top scorer for Crawley. Kevin Betsy's side were taken over by a crypto-currency firm earlier this year.
Richie Smallwood has joined Bradford on a free transfer. He played 42 times for Hull in the Championship last season.
